Flashlight lamp socket holder assembly



Nov. 21, 1950 Y J. T. SHACKEL FLASHLIGHT LAMP SOCKET HOLDER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet I Filed May 6, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

A T TOR/V5 Y5.

M w 7 w m J iz/W2 & $2.5

Nov. 21, 1950 J. T. SHACKEL 2,530,913

FLASHLIGHT LAMP SOCKET HOLDER ASSEMBLY Filed May 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

&

INVENTOR. JOSfP/V 7.' SHAC/IZL BMJ/W l atentecl Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED FLASHLIGHTLAMP sooner HOLDER ASSEMBLY Joseph T. Shackel, Detroit, Mich. Application May 6, 1947, Serial No. 746.340-

3 Claims.

This invention relates to: an electric torch, commonly known as a flashlight lamp socket holder assembly.

' People who go on fishing or camping trips find themselves in circumstances in which it is desirable to have flashlights of different brightness. While" but (in the lake fishing, 01' While walking through the woods, it is desirable to have a powerful light capable of casting a strong beam a long distance. Then, when the camper is back in the cabin, he would like to have a small light that he cancarry around in his pocket. The

mcstcbvious solution of course is to be provided with two or three flashlights of different sizes. There are at least two disadvantages tothis solutio'n, one ')'f th 'e1"rl being the added expense, and another being space limitations: most people who go on camping trips already have a great bulk of equipment that must be carried along, and carrying two' or three flashlights instead of one aggravates this problem. The solution. proposed by this invention provides a single large powerful flashlight that can be broken down into a smaller flashlight.

It is an; object of this invention to provide a powerful flashlight having a battery holder which canbe separated into at least two smaller seg-' merits, the two segments preferably having differ'e'nt battery capacities. Each segment is provided with a switch arid is constructed to receive the lar'rlp', reflector, and end cap so that it may serve as a complete flashlight itself.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows a powerful flashlight made ac-- cording to this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in section showing the lamp socket holder and associated Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the end cap 01" closure".

Fig. lis" a View iii elevation showing the parts assembled to form a complete flashlight which is smaller than the big flashlight shown in Fig. 1, being made with the longer of the two battery holder segments, and

Fig. 5 is a complete flashlight but smaller than the one shown in either of Figs. 1 and 4, being made up with the shorter of the two battery holder segments.

The flashlight shown in Fig. 1 includes a battery holder indicated generally by the reference number 2. Battery holder 2 is made up of two parts or segments 4 and 6. Each part 4 and 6 includes a switch mechanism 8 which may, and

2) preferably does, include an on and off switch l0 and a flash button l2.

The two parts or segments 4 and 6 are interchangeable. To accomplish this interchangeability, the front end of the segment -5 is con-' structed to screw into the back end of segment 4, and the front end 'of segment 4 is constructed so that it may be screwed into the back end of segment 6a A lamp socket holder l4 may be screwedi'nside the fro'nt end oi either segment 4 or 6. A- closure or end ca 16" is made so that it can be screwed onto the back end ofeitherseg' merit t or t. Areflector assembly i8, which may be conventional, iscohst'ructetl' to screw onto the outside of the front end of either segments or 0;

The details of the lamp socket holder and associated mechanism are shown in Fig. 2. As shown inthat figure, the socket holder consists of a threaded shell 20 made of an electrically conductive material, having at its forwardend a plate 22 made of a non conductive or insulating material. An electriclamp socket 24' is secured substantially in the center of the plate '22 A contact plate 26 may be formed integral with the socket 24', but is" in any event electrically connected with socket 2 3. Contact plate 26 is preferably cupped slightly toward the rear is indicated at the lower half of Fig; 2. In addition, the contact plate is preferably providedwith acon-' tact groove 28 to'receive the rotatable element 30 which is electricallyconncted with the switch 8 by means of a conductor bar 32. Element 30' is rotatably mounted on the conductor bar 32 by means of a rivet 34 which provides the axis of rotation of the element to and also furnishes the electrical contact with conductor bar 32. A strip of insulatingmaterialfifi' may'bep'rovided on the outside of conductor bar 32. Alternatively, the shell 20 may be lined with an insulating material.

A battery contact plate 38' i's'held inplace by means of rivets 40 which engage the plate 22. Note'that plate .38 is electrically insulated from contact plate 26by' insulating washers or spacers EZ. Note also that the holes 4'4 in the contact plate 25 are considerably larger than rivets '40 to insure that there will be no electrical contact between the rivets and the contact plate.

A conventional electric lamp 46 is screwed into socket 24 and makes electrical contact with the contact plate 38 as well as with the socket 24.

The flashlight shown in Fig. 1 has a battery holder which has a five cell capacity. These batteries, shown at 48, are the standard commercial y available flashlight dry cells. A five cell flashlight such as is shown in Fig. 1 requires a bulb or lamp of a given capacity. Such lamps too are standard and are commercially available. A bulb which is designed for use in a five cell flashlight will give off no light when used in a two or three cell flashlight. It is therefore necessary to provide another bulb of the proper ca- .pacity.

Bulbs which are designed for use either with two or three cell flashlights are commercially available. When the flashlight is made up as a five cell torch, as shown in Fig. 1, the smaller capacity bulb is carried in the closure or end cap it which is shown in detail in Fig. 3. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the closure l6 comprises a threaded shell 59 which is recessed as shown at 52. A U- shaped clip 54 is secured as by soldering in the bottom of recess 52. The conversion bulb 56 is carried by the clip 54. A contact spring 56 is removably held in the shell 50 to insure electrical contact between the numerous batteries and between the foremost battery and contact plate 38. Spring 56 also forms a part of the electrical circuit.

Placing the conversion bulb 56 in a recess as shown in Fig. 3 insures that the bulb will not be broken by screwing the closure l6 too tight onto the end of the battery holder.

All threads shown are preferably rolled, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

The reflector assembly I8 is preferably of the focusing type. For this purpose, the position of the reflector shell 58 may be adjusted by means of the screw thread that holds it in place, thus varying the position of the bulb in relation to the reflector element 60.

Operation With the two battery holder segments 4 and 6 screwed together as shown in Fig. 1, the flashlight provides maximum illumination. When it is desired to provide a light of smaller capacity, say a two cell light, the parts are all disassembled: segment 6 is unscrewed from segment 4, lamp socket holder [4 is unscrewed from the segment 4 and is screwed into the forward end of segment 6, the five cell capacity bulb is removed from the socket. and is replaced by the smaller capacity bulb, the large bulb being placed in the spring clip in the end cap l6, and the reflector as- ;sembly I8 is screwed onto the forward end of the segment 6. This gives the flashlight shown in 'Fig. which is small and is easily carried in a pocket. The same operations are performed with ;the segment 4 to provide a three cell flashlight ,such as is shown in Fig. 4.

The cupped shape of the contact plate 26 in ithe lamp socket holder assures a good electrical (contact, because rotatable element 36 will be :screwed tightly against the contact plate 26 and .against the spring bias provided by the cupped shape of the contact plate. At the point of contact, the contact plate 26 will straighten out somewhat as is seen in the upper half of Fig. 2. The groove 23 in the contact plate assures that the rotatable element SCI-will .not be crowded 4 either inward of outward risking possible damage to the parts.

When the two parts or segments 4 and 6 are screwed together to make one big flashlight as shown in Fig. 1, only the switch in the forward segment is operative. The switch in the rear segment does not enter into the function of the light.

I claim:

1. In a flashlight, a battery holder, a unitary lamp socket and holder assembly screwed into one end of the battery holder, a spring biased contact plate comprising a part of said assembly and electrically connected to the lamp socket, a

; switch on the battery holder and having an extension disposed within the battery holder, and a rotatable element associated with said switch extension and being electrically engageable with the spring biased contact plate.

2. In a flashlight, a battery holder, a unitary lamp socket and holder assembly screwed into one end of the battery holder, a grooved spring biased contact plate comprising a part of said assembly and electrically connected to the lamp socket, a switch on the battery holder and having an extension disposed within the battery holder, and a rotatable element associated with said switch extension and being electrically engageable with the spring biased contact plate at some point in the groove.

3. In a flashlight, a battery holder, a unitary lamp socket and holder assembly screwed into one end of the battery holder, a grooved spring biased contact plate comprising a part of said assembly and electrically connected to the lamp socket, a switch on the battery holder and having an extension disposed within the battery holder and a rotatable element associated with said switch extension and being electrically engageable with the spring biased contact plate at some point in the groove, said plate having a peripheral flange inclined at an obtuse angle to the plane of the plate, said inclined flange of the contact plate engaging the rotatable element carried by said extension as the said assembly is screwed into the holder and acting to cam the rotatable element into the groove, said spring biased plate flexing on engagement with the extension to provide a yielding contact between said extension and contact plate.

JOSEPH T. SHACKEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,287,250 Dailey Dec. 10, 1918 1,377,477 Hambuechen May 10, 1921 1,518,575 Eaton Dec. 9, 1924 1,584,454 Koretzky May 11, 1926 1,875,956 Thiel Sept. 6, 1932 2,092,615 Phillips Sept. 7, 1937 

